Amritsar: UGC pay scales bring cheer to teachers

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 5

The district unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) on Monday hailed the decision of the Punjab Government to implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission for the teachers of universities and colleges.

As Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced the decision to implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission that were proposed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) with effect from January 1, 2016, for teachers in the state, the college and university teachers erupted in joy hoping for closure of the long-drawn battle for their right.

“Almost every state of India implemented these recommendations, but Punjab was the only state to sit on the pay commission recommendations. Prof Gurdas Sekhon, district president and state general secretary, PCCTU, said, “It is the AAP government which implemented the Seventh Pay Commission within six months of their tenure as promised during the elections. The government greeted the teachers with the new pay scales on Teacher’s Day. We had raised the demand with previous governments in the last seven years.”

Several teachers distributed sweets and hoped that with the implementation of new pay scales, the other issue of delinking with the UGC too might be resolved soon.

Meanwhile, school teachers too received a gift from the Mann government as the decision to form sub-committee to regularise teachers with more than 10 or above years of experience was announced. The AAP government also announced to regularise 8,736 contract employees of the Education Department, striking a chord with disgruntled teachers and non-teaching staff.

The district units of PCCTU of Gurdaspur and Pathankot too hailed the government decision. Dr Lalit Kumar, district president, PCCTU, Gurdaspur, said, “We welcome this decision of the Punjab Government. The AAP party had assured us before the elections that the UGC scale would be implemented after the formation of the government. We are grateful that they had fulfilled their promise.”

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#bhagwant mann #University Grant Commission UGC